Ok, it's Friday. And there is absolutely nothing on my calendar. What a beautiful day! Well, I have 3 "to do" lists sitting in front of me but this means I might plow through most of the items on my list. Yay!

I'll tell you, I could have slept in today. I did not want to get up at all. Now, this is a bit unusual for me as I have become an early riser and am up no later than 6am, but today, I didn't get up until 6:15. The problem is getting out of bed, because once I am up, I'm awake. I mean, I stumble into the bathroom and try not to fall back asleep while I relieve myself, but then I go make my coffee and life is good. And, my dog always comes to get me up when the alarm has gone off more than 2 times. She's good like that. And this morning, I could hardly get her to stop sticking her wet nose in my face.

So, this weekend I have much organization and cleaning of my apartment on my agenda. No HP marathon reading sessions. No taking 5 hour naps like I did a few weeks ago. Just cleaning and trying to figure out what the hell to do with my stuff. Now that it has finally stopped raining 24/7, I can put some stuff in my storage closet. There is definitely a flooding problem in the storage room but I think that I picked a closet that is in a drier spot. Let's hope so b/c I have a massive pile to remove from my living room.

We're having a blood drive at work today and I'm all signed up! I have found that the best thing to do is not look at the blood coming out of your arm and into the little bag. This is my good deed for the day, I suppose.

Not much else to mention except for HP5. Loved it! Loved it! I read my book in a total of 14 hours over the weekend. Of course, my apartment didn't get cleaned and my dog didn't get a lot of play time, but all is well now that I have my HP. Can't wait to read it again!

Must stay positive...I love my job. I really and truly love my job. But...I have come to the realization that I HATE events planning. HATE it. So, when today's golf outing is over and I am driving home to my dog, I will be done with events planning for the remainder of my internship. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!

In other news, after grousing about how difficult my father is to shop for and that Father's Day was just around the corner, guess who forgot to call her dad on Father's Day before he left for the airport? I am a doofus. And now today I must call and apologize for being an asshole and not calling my dad on F. Day. My brother didn't call either, so I am not alone in the asshole boat.

And in response to A's blog, I need to work on making new friends, too. I have some friends here but I want to make friends outside of the office. And a date wouldn't be so bad either. They have these young professionals groups that do social events and volunteer projects and everytime they are doing something cool, I am out of town somewhere. But not this month! This month I plan to do a couple of activities with the YP group. But not until after I've read the new HP book. That is definitely the first priority:>

Ugh...aerobics totally kicked my ass last night. Looks like an *dvil kind of day...of course, one does not shed 10 lbs. by sitting on one's ass. But we have a good time and I guess that's as good a reason as any to keep putting myself thru torture twice a week.

So, Father's Day is this weekend. My father is so hard to shop for. He could always use a new pair of pants or a shirt or something, but he's so damn picky and never wears the nice stuff I get him. Like the nice khakis I bought a few years ago that are still hanging in his closet with the tag still on...I suppose I could just take the easy way out and send him a new chamois. He likes those. I was trying to do a "Best of Cinti" type-gift-thing, but I am running out of non-perishable goods to mail to him. I could send him a car jar and a box of malted milk balls and call it a day. Darn him for being so difficult to buy for.

In other news, it's time to start thinking about "what next" after my internship is over in, like, 7 months. The organization wants to help us with finding new (permanent)placements (can't be an intern forever) and they have already started that process by telling us we need to at least start thinking about what cities or geographic regions. Now me, I've pretty much come to accept that I will need to be mobile for the next 10 years. I don't mind so much where I live so long as the position can take me to the next step. I'm NOT going to Arkansas. Or Texas. Or Florida. I do have my limits. I just can't believe it's already time to start thinking of what next. Even my CEO here in Cinti has asked that question. And of course, everything depends on the offer that he will make. I wouldn't mind staying here for 2 more years before moving on...sigh.....

The Fummer is back...I had the lovliest weekend. I got a full night's rest Friday and Saturday nights and had 2 naps that lasted 3-5 hours in length. It was...lovely...I went to the grocery store and the bank and the car wash and that was it. The rest of the time was spent lazing about my apartment. I did do laundry, tho. I had to, I was out of underwear. And now I am out of quarters.

So, yes, I did the moving thing and cleaned out my mom's house. I brought home an entire car load of stuff and my uncle took, like, 6-7 boxes with him to be picked up by me next weekend. How have I accumulated so much damn stuff? Part of it is b/c I am a woman and women get strapped with things like, china, for example, and tea sets and music boxes and tons of shit I don't need. But since it's worth $60 a plate, I'll keep it. And so I gave away the crib M and I both used, as well as the bassinette, and the B*rbie corvette (that was mine). Also, the CP Kids, stuffed animals out the wazoo, board games and the like. And then I went thru the boxes in my closet with letters from Andy B***n written in marker, old M*rch*nd*ser's with the marching band group photo on the front, notes, notes, notes folded in various shapes, group notebooks (that reminds me, where is the CJ?), and about a hundred birthday and holiday cards. I found more pictures (Ang, the ones from the night we stuffed our bras--little did we know that someday we would be so naturally and fabulously endowed) and old yearbooks and you name it, I saved it. It's so funny to look back on that time in my life, our lives. And here we are now...I wonder what's next?

Just to let you know that I will be out of town this weekend and half of next week, so I will be on a blogging hiatus. I have to help my mom move this weekend and I am attending a conference next week in Indy. Can't wait until my life is back to normal and there is no more out of town engagements. Not that travel isn't nice, but not for 3 weeks straight.

So, this is the weekend where I send my childhood toys to G**dwill. In fact, I was supposed to drive up to my mom's last night, and here I am at the office today when I should be going thru the G**dwill pile right at this very moment. I better get my work done so I can get going. Be back in a week or so!

Had a great time in Boston (So proud of you Manda!) despite the rain and chill...now must never take a vacation again b/c work piles up in my absence. Blarg.

This is a very sad day, indeed. My academic advisor, mentor, and a favorite professor has turned in her letter if resignation and is packing up her office. She will be moving back to NY and taking a research assoc. position at C*rnell. When an institution of higher learning denies tenure to an outstanding scholar and well-loved professor, it defeats its very existence as an instituion of higher learning. They should change the name from F&M College to F&M Money-Making Machine. That's how it seems to me. It's a very, very, very sad day....

Okay, no more complaints about my blog if no one is going to leave comments...This will be short anyway since I have yet to prepare for my monthly evaluation and I need to get crackin'...Work is good but busy, as usual. And I can't believe it's time for another evaluation. Time passes so quickly...I can't believe I have been here 3 months next week. Crazy.

Well, I am very excited about Amanda's graduation in 2 weeks--and not just because I get to go to Boston to see her graduate. An Ode to Amanda is forthcoming, I swear, but I just wanted to say how excited I am. Amanda, I am so proud of you! I am looking forward to time spent with my second family (Mrs. P included) and since this is really the only vacation I get this year, I intend to enjoy myself. And then, the following week, I have to help my mother move into her new apartment. While I am very excited about said apt. I am not looking forward to moving all this crap again. And it forces me to move out the rest of my stuff...even tho I have no place to put it...And not only that, but I have found that it is no longer practical to save childhood toys and whatnot for the imaginary future children that Matthew or I may have. I saved all my C*bbage P*tch dolls and furniture and the B*rbie corvette, etc. and now I am going to give almost all of it to G**dwill (a very fine UW agency). I am kind of sad at having to do that but I can't store it anywhere without paying an arm and a leg to do so, nor does my mother have the space to keep it for me, and who's to say any kid will want to play with this stuff in 10 years anyway? So, I picked out my favorite ones and will have to find someplace to hide them from dog-that-destroys-all-things-soft-and-furry. Suddenly, I find myself missing my 8 year-old self...

Alright. You complain that I don't blog frequently enough and then you don't even have the decency to come and comment. Darn you! Darn you!

Ahem...Ode to my dog on her 8th Birthday...I guess Shana can now be a member of AARD (retired dogs, get it?)...anyway...to my faithful animal companion who gets fur all over my bed and ocassionally gets in my hamper (little stinker)...who is always excited to see me even when I'm only gone long enough to take out the trash...who greets me with hugs and kisses when I come home from work...who loves me unconditionally and has outlasted a number of boyfriends (and even vomitted on one of them, hee!)...who never forgets to take me on our daily W-A-L-K (I dare not say the word)...who is so kind as to "help" me cook my dinner by standing under my feet and trying to catch anything that falls...who helps me spend my hard-earned money by eating foregin objects that force me to take her to the emergency animal hospital and pay to have said object removed or be forced to place a $30 phone call to animal poison control...who is a loyal, faithful and loving pet (kid with fur) who hates baths but loves to play and makes me the crazy dog lady I am so proud to be. Happy Birthday Shana!

Ahem...An Update by Kelly...well, you know who I am already. Yes, I apologize, I am a very bad blogger. Bad Kelly, very bad Kelly. Anyway, I will spare you the reasons for my poor blogger posting habits and I will now launch into my Ode to Angie and big, huge, enthusiastic congratulations to Alissa for a job well done. 3 more years to pillow hats. Sorry I couldn't be there:< I am so very proud of you!

Ahem...Ode to Angie on her 24th Birthday (are you really that old?) Happy Birthday to the person who: remembers every foreign object eaten by my dog...always helps me with the job application process...made pet resumes for Shana (loved those)...is a tireless cheerleader...talked me thru many a moving-back-to-Lanky strategy...remembers that I love yellow roses...whose *butt* calls my cell phone and leaves funny "ketchup, please"-type messages on my voice mail...is also a crazy dog lady like me...writes down predictions for the last 3 HP books and tells me all about them on a train ride to the F**ld Museum in Ch*cago...spontaneously decides she wants to make homemade soap in the Br*dy B*nch kitchen at 11:30 at night...shares almost all the same fun, fearless feminist values I do. Happy Birthday sister of the heart! I love you!

Bad Blogger Kel-ly. Durn it. Just been so busy. So, here I am on a Monday afternoon and seriously dreading the meeting I have to go to in an hour. I swear time stands still during those meetings. I wish I had some candy to make it better...left all my candy at home and now will have to purchase candy from evil vending machine upstairs...

So, if you are looking for something to do this summer, why not come visit me? There's tons of stuff to go see and do and besides you'd be spending time with me...Doesn't that sound like fun? But don't come after the 3rd week of July. This is a strictly first half of the summer kind of offer. I miss you all so much and wish I could have come to Lanky for the so-called holiday weekend. Instead I did a mountain, yes a mountain, of laundry and attempted to find creative ways to store things in my tiny storage-less apartment. Really I should just put in giant shelving units on all the walls and eliminate the storage problem but then I couldn't have furniture. R-Maid needs to come up with a line of storage couches/chairs and the like. At least I have a roof over my head...

It's good to be back in Cinti. Only have a second here but I had a great time in Nashville and hope to attend this conference again in future years. Very busy week ahead and to make it worse I rec'd the news that my academic advisor/mentor/favorite professor was denied tenure. Needless to say I am very upset by this and seriously considering a big F**K OFF to the Professional Standards committee. And to the institution as a whole that will not be receiving any more of my money if they do not repeal this decision. That being said, I need to go home now and start writing some letters.

Ah, the Fummer returns from a brief foray in the Windy...very busy weekend and very glad to be home. Esp. now that I have *my own place to call home*. Love that! I had a nice time helping my grandma with her show but I don't think I plan to do any more this year. I just dread the whole packing up and loading the van part that comes at the end. My grandma always brings more than she needs (or has ever used--at least to my knowledge) and insists on loading the cart so full that it tips in the middle of the street. And then we have to go to the storage facility and see the creepy old guy that works there. Anyway, I'm glad to be back although it was nice to see my mom and my friends.

I'm happy to report that I have not seen any bugs en mi casa lately. A little spanglish anyone? My supervisor is taking a spanish class and it is so funny to hear her speak--you know "hab-lo." Too funny. It makes my espanol sound close to fluent, I'll tell you. We went to Ch*potle last week and I taught her how to give her order in spanish. At least she tries. I keep saying that I will take a class one of these days. I'm settled in to the new job and apartment...I need to get my rear in gear. But there's always some reason to put it off. There's softball starting next week and book club and...crap. I'm running out of things. Maybe I could buy a CD and listen to it in my car. But that cuts down on NPR time. Well, I need to go home and starch/iron my blouses and pack my stuff. By goddess, I'm going to go see Minnie Pearl's hat on display if it kills me!

The bad blogger returns to make a short entry...it's Tuesday and I have a very busy week ahead. I'm going to Chick-a-go on Friday to help out at my grandma's quilt show, having brunch with friends on Sunday and then making a mad dash back to Cinti since I have to be at work Monday morning. At least I'll get to raid my grandma's huge stash of fabric. Time to start a new quilt. Except that I sort of didn't finish the last one so I better get my rear in gear before she comes to visit my in April. Must have a finished product. Really I have no excuse for not having it done.

Things are good here in Cinti. Nice weather and grass is a-growing. Of course, the bugs are a-coming in my house b/c of the warm temps so must take some extreme bug deterrent measures. Besides just squishing them on my wall and leaving a lovely brown streak on the white paint...Not a fan of those uninvited guests and my dad isn't around to kill/spray the critters for me. Now being the independent and self-sufficient woman that I am, I will squish/spray the critters and hang the art work and all the other stuff that dad's do. Much as I love my dad, and appreciate his help, I am glad to be 492 miles away:> And 280 away from my mom:> Which is almost, but not quite, as good as being in Siberia or something.

Yes, I am a bad blogger. I only have, like, 2 minutes and then it's back to work. I am suddenly very busy with work and starting some really exciting projects so things are good. I have made some friends and have been quite social. I have to make myself sometimes but it's just that I really enjoy time to myself in my BIG GIRL APARTMENT where I LIVE ALL BY MYSELF!!!! Hee hee. The weather is quite nice and I can't wait to put some potted flowers on my porch. I'd plant some but there are some tennants whose cats run loose and will trample my beautiful landscape:> Also, I booked my tix to Boston after 1.5 hours trying to figure out why I wasn't getting a confirmation. Silly me ended up with a total of 8 attempted reservations on D*lta flight whatever I picked. Oops. So, going to Boston and am so very excited. Must run but be sure to leave lots of comments...

Happy (belated) Birthday to Manda! I mean, I didn't forget but I am belatedly posting it on my blog. And Happy (very belated) Blog Birthday Posting to Alissa and Hef, for that matter! So much love to all of you and just remember that you will all turn *50* before I do, or Gwen, thus making G and myself the Blanches (think Golden G*rls) of the group. Without the gratiutious sex with many partners, serious denial about our age and no blue wrap-around dresses with huge shoulder pads. Hee hee!

Am a bad friend! Hee! Not much going on her in Cinti...I still haven't kept my kitchen table clear of clutter for more than a day at a time. I think I have turned into my mother and that scares the bejeebies right out of me. Hmm...I am fully insured now! That's reason enough for celebration in my book. I should have a party for myself. Maybe now I can afford some thera-pie;> Must run...be sure to make lots of funny comments!

Okay, blog is back to normal. Hee hee! I just read G's blog about the day she spent in my hotel room. Hee hee, testing fire alarm system. Guess I should have mentioned that to you...Except that I didn't know about it until the end of the day when I saw a paper shoved under my door advising of said event. Anyway...

Well, I am back in the world of work. So far there is no data entry and probably there will never be any for me to do (whew)! So much has happened in the 3 weeks since I have been in blogging-country that I am in a mad dash to catch up. Unfortunately I do not have the leisure to write a nice long passage about my exploits but I will say that I have been having a great time. With the exception of spending too much time with my family during the moving process. Def. too much bonding time. I think I might be ready to see my dad again in July. Not that anything bad happened, but it was 24 hours a day, every day for 4 straight days and I just can't stand being around anyone for that amount of time. So anyway, things here in Cinti are good. Big girl apt. is shaping up nicely. I am going to spend fab. gift certificate to P**r 1 this weekend and buy one of those nice dresser thingies that G has in her room. I still have a crap load of laundry sitting in laundry baskets. But they are NICE laundry baskets. The nice R-maid kind that you can hold against your hip and has the sturdy handles on them! Yay for laundry baskets!

Have already started making friends--v. excited about this! I will be going to an art gallery this evening with another intern (she's interning for credit) and her friends and we will be having dinner and then going to the gallery. I expect to see some other co-workers in attendance--some of whom I spent Wed. evening with at a happy hour, or POETS, as they call it here. Must go and prepare myself for a day of meetings. Meetings ARE good!

testing...

...Whew...in a terrible rush. Sorry my blog has lay fallow for a while. Hmmm..where did I get that choice of words. Will blog again soon. Cinti is good so far. Must find a pcp and a dentist. CANNOT fly to Lanky just to see Dr. G. Just not feasible. Also, cannot fly to Lanky to see Kim or Dr. W. Definitely out of the question. Bleah!

Big Girl apartment is good and Big Girl Cubicle is, well, good. It the first time that I've had a whole desk all to myself. No one to put their germy hands on my keyborad or mouse or to breathe their germs all over my phone. Ick! Must dash but love to all and please send lots of comments! Still don't have a new name for the fabulous blog!